75 years of Atlantic Records captured in new photo book

Atlantic Records, the visionary New York label that made stars of some of the world's most notable artists from Aretha Franklin to Charli XCX, has recently celebrated a big birthday. To mark the occasion, the label is inviting music fans to peek inside its rich photography archive.

Years in the making, this new photo book offers a rare look into Atlantic's 75-plus year legacy, showcasing a wealth of images from the label’s extensive archives – many published for the first time. The photos, spanning portraits, live performances, studio sessions and candid behind-the-scenes moments, were captured by some of the world’s most renowned photographers, including Annie Leibovitz, Jim Marshall, Lee Friedlander, Walter Iooss Jr., Anton Corbijn, Chuck Stewart, Albert Watson and David LaChapelle.

Editor and New Yorker Reuel Golden had the pleasure of diving into the Atlantic archives for this project. He shared his experiences with Wallpaper*.

Wallpaper*: What appealed to you about this project?

Reuel Golden: We had originally been approached by Atlantic Records book, who had been impressed by 75 Years of Capitol Records book, which came out in 2016. Capitol is very much associated with L.A., whereas Atlantic Records has New York’s DNA and as a New Yorker, for me this had obvious appeal. Its musical legacy is of course incredible and the versatility of their artists and the different genres they represent made it fun and challenging. Basically, we needed to find compelling photos from King Crimson (and their various line-ups) to A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie.

What struck you most about Atlantic's legacy?

Atlantic’s legacy is very much intertwined with the personality and ethos of its co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, who put his personal stamp on every aspect of the company. Ertegun was the first music executive to champion soul and R&B music and his support for artists like Ruth Brown and Ray Charles, changed the segregation of American music forever. Atlantic also hired Black photographers to shoot their artists, which was very unusual at the time. For example, Led Zeppelin when they first signed to the label were shot by the great jazz photographer Chuck Stewart. Eretgun liked to mix it up and defy expectations and we’ve tried to apply this diverse approach when making the book.

What makes a great music photograph?

There are two types of music photograph that the fans always want to see. The first shot is one where the artist is performing or recording and a great photo transforms the viewer to the centre of that creative experience. Jim Marshall who shot Cream, our book cover, was especially skilled at capturing the raw power of live performance. The other photo is the candid or unguarded portrait that seemingly catches the star as they really are and not how they would like to appear. Anton Corbijn is a master at getting behind the mask.

Do you have a favourite photograph or story from the book?

We are working on a Michael Jordan book with the legendary sports photographer Water Iooss Jr. and in the 1960s he had an alternative career as a music photographer, partly because he liked going to the gigs and getting high. There’s a great photograph of Aretha backstage at a concert in New Jersey, fixing her make-up in front of a mirror in a cramped changing room. Walter says the whole silent encounter lasted a few seconds and that he’s not even sure that Aretha even noticed him, but what a moment to capture the Queen of Soul of she prepares to go on stage.

Music photography is a more challenged industry than it was in the past. Do you think we will have the same record of today's artists in another 75 years?

I can’t really predict what’s going to happen in 75 years but think we can assume that whatever the format or medium, there’s always going to be a hunger for visually compelling imagery that tells some kind of story. There’s too much money and control in the record industry these days, so literally a moment, like the one above, where a photographer gets unbridled access to a major star will never be repeated. Our book is a celebration of those unique moments.

75 Years of Atlantic Records is available from March 23 via Taschen